Controversial mandatory towing levy suspended

Government has put on hold, the implementation of the law that mandates vehicle owners to pay an annual mandatory towing levy.

Deputy Transport Minister, Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus-Glover, explained that the Ministry listened to the plights and cries of Ghanaians, which culminated into suspending the law.

Passed in 2012, the LI 2180 was given five years fallow period after which it would jump to life in 2017. With two weeks to its implementation, the new regulation has been met with public disapproval.

Some have questioned the basis for which the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) awarded the contract to the Road Safety Management Limited (RSML) a subsidiary of the Jospong Group owned by Businessman Joseph Siaw Agyapong.

Fees per year for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles, depending on tonnage, range from GHS20 to GHS200.

Questions relating to whether the payments will be tied to a number of vehicles towed and how the activities of the towing services are going to be monitored are yet to be answered.

Last week Chief Policy Analyst at the Ghana Institute of Public Policy Options (GIPPO) Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby called on the president, Nana Akufo-Addo to immediately halt the implementation of the policy until thorough public awareness is done.

But Mr Titus-Glover says the government has directed the NRSC to suspend the policy.

Mr. Titus-Glover disclosed told Evans Mensah on Newsnite programme Monday that the decision is to allow stakeholder engagements to address all the issues being raised regarding the policy.

“In principle, the issue about lives that are being lost on our major roads as a result of the broken down vehicles that have been on the road for days killing innocent people is of grave concern to the ministry.

He explained that when the issue made headlines that the NRSC was starting the service on Republic Day, July 1, it was received with lots of public outcries and criticisms.

“So the Minister came out to inform the public that he has asked them [NRSC] to put it on hold. Then today, he formally came out to say that they should put it on hold.

"This is because we realised there has not been enough stakeholder consultation with regards to the service," he said.

The Tema East Parliamentarian assured that people should look at the bigger picture of the Ministry concerned with saving lives on the roads.

He said the concept which the Akufo-Addo government inherited “is a very brilliant idea but if the very people whose lives are to be saved are saying they are not very comfortable with it, the Minister must listen to them and review if possible.”

Mr Tuitus-Glover said the law is likely to be reintroduced after extensive stakeholder consultation because the priority is saving lives from the unnecessary accidents and dangers broken down vehicles pose on the roads.